Old Cars Guide.com

1957 Corvette

1957 Chevrolet Corvette

Description

The Chevrolet Corvette was introduced in 1953 as Chevy's first two-seater
sports car. The original generation of the Corvette, which lasted from 1953
to 1962, is now referred to as the C1.

The 1956-57 Corvettes were a major styling change over the 1953-55 Corvettes.
This included different front fenders with protruding headlights, a recessed
side cove which was optionally painted a different color, and tapered rear
fenders with recessed tail lights.

While the 56 and 57 Corvettes were virtually identical on the exterior, 1957
saw some significant changes, performance wise.

Displacement of the small block Chevy V-8 engine was enlarged from 265 to
283 cubic inches. It was also the first year that a 4-speed manual transmission
was available. But most significantly, 1957 saw the introduction of the now
famous fuel-injected engine. With 283 cubic inches, it was rated at 283
horsepower with solid lifters and 250 hp with hydraulic lifters.

1957 was also the last year of single headlights.

1957 Corvette Key Differences

Front fenders with protruding single headlights (not covered with a grill),
and tapered rear fenders with recessed tail lights set the '56 and '57
Corvette apart from other years.

Key differences of the 1957 Corvette include the 283 cu in engine,
available fuel injection, and the optional four-speed manual.

Similar Years

The 1956 and 1957 Corvettes are virtually the same on the exterior.

How to Identify a 1957 Corvette

Overview

C1 Corvette body style (1953 - 1962)

1957 Corvette Grill

Front grill is set between the front bumpers and had 13 vertical bars (1953 - 1957)

Single headlights (1953 - 1957)

1957 Corvette Headlight

Front fenders extend past the front grill to house a single headlight on each side (1956 - 1957)

1957 Corvette Tail Light

Tail lights are recessed into the leading edge of the rear fenders (1956 - 1957)

1957 Corvette Rear Fenders

Rear fenders are tapered and do not have fins like the '53 - '55 Corvettes (1956 - 1960)

Exhaust tips exit through the rear bumpers (1953 - 1960)

1957 Corvette Side Cove

Recessed side cove could be optionally painted a different color (1956 - 1961)

1957 Corvette Fuel Injection

Optional fuel injection debuted for 1957 (1957 - 1966)

1957 Corvette Fuel Injection Emblem

1957 Fuel Injected Corvettes (fuelies) had a special side insignia (1957 - 1966)

1957 Corvette Front Emblem

The front emblem was the same as last year (1956 - 1962)

1957 Corvette Trunk Emblem

The trunk emblem was also the same as the previous year (1956 - 1962)

1957 Corvette Dash

The dash remained unchanged (1953 - 1957)

1957 Corvette Wheel

Most '57 Vettes came with full-wheel hubcaps rather than these center caps

Field Guide to American Autos

Need help identifying a classic car from the 1950's, 1960's, 1970's, or 1980's?
Old Cars Guide .com has illustrated make and model guides to help you identify the
most popular vintage North American automobiles. Year to year and generational
changes are outlined in easy to use picture identification guides.

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